Evgeny Kissin by Bach, J. S., Mozart, Chopin, Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff, Fra (2023/2023), Philharmonie, Essen, Germany

Evgeny Kissin inspires again and again with his technical perfection and breathtaking virtuosity, but also with his sensitive and well thought-out playing. His sensational career began with the legendary New Year's Eve concert in 1988. At that time, the 17-year-old played with the Berlin Philharmonic under the direction of Herbert von Karajan and enchanted audiences and critics alike. More than three decades have passed since then, and Kissin has emerged as one of the most outstanding artists of our time. "The fascinating thing about his art is that it has retained its immediacy," said Wolfram Goertz in his laudation for our 2020 prizewinner. For his 9th concert at the Ruhr Piano Festival, he put together a wide-ranging program from Bach to Debussy . " My only criteria for choosing my repertoire is love! If I don't feel love for a piece, I can't play it well. Luckily my tastes are very diverse," he once explained. And luckily we get to be a part of that!